Anatomy of a netscam -Reply

[KAREN SCHNEIDER]

Well, a couple of points.  First, this may not be legal, or even fair. 
Commercial databases do have rights.  Second, this does not affect other
objections, such whether these tools are manipulating the ranking in
accordance with what folks pay them.  Third, it does not address the
quality of the search overall.  Frankly, even without ads I find Alta Vista
problematical.  A customized local service is preferable to an information
trash barge.  (And a customized local service that contributed to a
subsidized not-for-profit index would be better yet.)

Karen G. Schneider
opinions mine alone


>>> Temple Hoff <temhof at mohave.lib.az.us> 07/15/96 11:27am >>>
For those of you worried about the ad banners at the top of search result 
screens from commercial search engines, have you thought of creating a 
mirror page on your local web server?  Allow the patron to input their 
search string and select their search engine on your page.  Your server 
would submit the search to the search engine and receive the results.  A 
CGI or PEARL script could then strip off the ad, or display the results 
to the patron in almost any format.

Has anyone done this?  It shouldn't be to difficult for your local 
webmaster.  I would suggest displaying the name of the search engine on 
the results screen.
--  Temple Hoff                  E-Mail:temhof at mohave.lib.az.us              
    Library Services Coordinator           Phone:(520) 692-5703   Mohave
County Library District           Fax:(520) 692-5788